There were several episcopal elections in the last few months. Here are highlights of these leaders and their thoughts for the upcoming future for the denomination and your support of the Episcopal Fund apportionment helps pay the salaries and benefits of United Methodist Bishops and allows them to travel across their episcopal areas providing mentorship and leadership.
The Rev. Werner Philipp, a district superintendent in eastern Germany, has been elected as a United Methodist bishop by delegates at the Germany Central Conference.
"I am ready to serve," he said in German upon the announcement of his election.
“Hope should be the big title under which I would like to ‘sail on’ with you — a well-founded hope that Jesus Christ has given us,” he said, addressing delegates from the three annual conferences in Germany: North, East and South. “This is a hope that becomes concrete in a life, a service to which God has called us all. It is a service that changes and remakes lives in order to give other people this opportunity to live.
“May God give us this hope and may he bless our church in everything it does and does not do and in everything it can bring to this world,” he said.
The Rev. James Boye-Caulker has been elected as a bishop in The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference.
Boye-Caulker has been in ministry for 34 years and served as full-time district superintendent of Sierra Leone’s Western District since 2016.
“The peace that the people of Sierra Leone want, the two of us are going to make sure it happens,” said Boye-Caulker after his election, referring to the Rev. Edwin J.J. Momoh, who also was on the ballot.
“We want to create a stronger bond in (the) West Africa Central Conference. We will continue to give our service, not just for Sierra Leone but across the African continent.”
The Rev. Ande Ikimun Emmanuel has been elected as a bishop in The United Methodist Church’s West Africa Central Conference.
“People of Nigeria, we cannot amend the past, but we can correct the future. I want to say that I take this as a challenge. I promise that I will justify the confidence you have in me,” he said in his post-election address.
“Today this church has grown in membership to be one of the biggest UMC churches in the State of Taraba, Nigeria. This was the congregation that nurtured me to discern God’s call in my life to pastoral ministry,” Emmanuel said.
“I am calling for a time of unity, and I pledge that the No. 1 priority for me is how to unite the different factions that have been in The United Methodist Church. I want to send a message of peace, unity and forgiveness.”
Bishops Rodel M. Acdal, Ruby-Nell M. Estrella and Israel M. Painit have been reelected as the top leaders of The United Methodist Church’s Philippines Central Conference.
Acdal said he had “mixed emotions for my reelection due to the severity of the issues on disaffiliation while preparing for the central conference.” The denomination is emerging from a period marked by disaffiliations, in which some congregations and geographic regions left The United Methodist Church due to disagreements about scriptural authority.
But Acdal expressed gratitude: “God has granted the fresh mandate despite everything.”
Acdal told UM News that he envisions a united, dynamic, caring and welcoming church responsive to the call of the times.
“I shall continue (to) endeavor to fully maximize the privileges, responsibilities and accountabilities of the episcopal office,” he said.
Estrella is the first woman to serve as a United Methodist bishop in the Philippines. She said that her reelection is an affirmation of women’s leadership in the highest level of our church.
“With this reelection, I will be able to continue our programs and advocacies that would address the needs of the church.”
Some of the biggest issues she encountered made her more ready to embark on another episcopal journey, she said.
“The Manila Episcopal Area was the epicenter of disaffiliation and secession, which I believe are the biggest issues I encountered the past two years of my first term,” she said.
“I thank God for the strength and wisdom that kept me steadfast even in the midst of the most trying times,” she said. “I believe more challenges are coming, but I have proven that God is faithful and will be with me every step of the way.”
Painit finished his basic education in Tungao in Butuan City.
“This is a sweet victory because this is all for the church, especially (now) that we are on the critical times of transitioning to another structure,” he said. “This victory is a gift to us.”
Noting that his Davao Area “is literally covering 64% of the entire Philippines,” he said, “it is really important that I have to plan and make adjustments.” Painit said that in the past two years, he has “learned a lot,” and he promised to do better and rectify errors.
He will continue “advocating especially for the rights of women and children, and the Lumads in my area.” The Lumads are an indigenous people who have been marginalized and often persecuted in the Philippines.
One of his dreams for the church is for it to become stable, sustainable and self-governing, so that the whole Philippines is able to support its programs and leadership. Referring to the topic of possible autonomy from the denomination in the future, Painit said, “If the sentiment of the church is becoming autonomous, we will work for it through the process, until it becomes capable of becoming an autonomous church.”
excerpts from stories by Klaus Ulrich Ruof, public relations officer and spokesperson for the United Methodist Church in Germany, Eveline Chikwanah, correspondent for UM News based in Harare, Zimbabwe and Gladys P. Mangiduyos, UM News correspondent based in the Philippines;
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Your support of the Episcopal Fund apportionment helps pay the salaries and benefits of United Methodist Bishops and allows them to travel across their episcopal areas providing mentorship and leadership.
